ALEX Learning Activity

In this activity, students will practice generating and comparing sets of objects to determine which set has more/less or if sets are equal. Through this activity, students will build a conceptual understanding of the terms more/greater than, less/fewer, and equal.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

Students will identify whether a group of objects is greater than, less than, or equal to another group of objects.

1. The teacher will gather students to carpet or other area of the room where they can all easily view the demonstration. The teacher will have the following materials for the demonstration: 1 dot cube (dice), 1 basket of 10 red Unifix cubes (or counters), 1 basket of 10 yellow Unifix cubes (or counters), and 1 copy of the tree gameboard (optional).

2. The teacher will show students a dot cube (dice) and demonstrate how to gently roll the dot cube.

3. The teacher will ask students, "How can we figure out what I rolled?" (count the dots or if students have many prior experiences with dot cubes they may subitize or "just know").

4. The teacher will ask students, "How can I use these cubes (show basket of red cubes) to show my number?" (count them, build it) The teacher will demonstrate creating a set of red cubes that matches the number rolled on the gameboard on the "Player 1" tree and writing the numeral on the tree.

5. The teacher will demonstrate working with a partner by handing a student the dot cube. Students will roll the dot cube and determine the number rolled. (Teacher may reiterate the thought process behind determining number rolled by repeating the question, "How can we figure out what number _____ rolled?")

6.  The teacher will ask students, "How can _____ use these cubes (show basket of yellow cubes) to show their number?" (count them, build it) Students will demonstrate creating a set of yellow cubes that matches the number rolled on the gameboard on the "Player 2" tree and writing the numeral on the tree.

7. The teacher will ask, "How can we decide which set of apples is more/greater than (or less/fewer than - teacher can determine which outcome is desired for the lesson) or if the sets are the same/equal?"(count them, compare them) The teacher and partner student will demonstrate counting and connecting their cubes to build a tower, then holding them next to each other to compare to determine who has more (or less). The teacher and partner will model using more/greater than, less/fewer than, and equal to vocabulary as they compare their sets.

8. The teacher will then partner all students and provide each set of students with a dot cube, two sets of 10 Unifix cubes (two different colors), and a gameboard (optional).

9.  Students will play Comparing Apples to Apples with their partner and use more/greater than, less/fewer than, and equal to compare towers.

10. Once students are familiar with the game or to add rigor and connect quantities to numerals, the teacher can introduce the recording sheet.  On the recording sheet, each player will record their count, and partners will decide who the "winner" is (who had more or less depending on the teacher's directions) and circle the winning answer. 

1. Informal Assessment/Observation: As students work, the teacher will notice the language students are using when comparing sets as well as the strategies they are using to compare sets.

2. Checklist: The teacher will note the vocabulary students are using to compare sets, if students are able to successfully compare sets, and what strategies students use to compare sets.

3. Assessment of recording sheet: The teacher will note whether students were able to successfully identify sets that were more or less.

Create Student Pairings/Partners.

Gather 1 dot cube (dice) per pair of students.

Gather 2 sets (2 different colors) of 10 Unifix cubes for each pair of students.

Print Gameboard and Recording Sheet (if desired).

To decrease the rigor, decrease the magnitude of the numbers students are comparing: use dot cube with fewer dots, use numeral + ten frame cards with numerals less than 6.

To increase the rigor, increase the magnitude of the numbers students are comparing: roll 2 dot cubes and add numbers together, use numeral + ten frame cards 0-10, use numeral only cards, use a numeral cube rather than a dot cube, use a numeral spinner, or add recording sheet.

ALCOS 2019

6. Orally identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater/more than, less/fewer than, or equal/the same as the number of objects in another group, in groups containing up to 10 objects, by using matching, counting, or other strategies.